Fire escape or ladder



(No Model.)

5 Sheets Sheef 1,

S. R. KING. FIRE ESGAPBOR LADDER.

Patented Dee. 26, 1893.

THE NATIONAL LIYNOGRAPMING COMPANY.

5 Sheets Sh eet 2.

Patented Dec. 26

m! NATIONAL LmwaRAPnme an wneuma'ron. 0v 0.

SSheets-Sheet 3;

. (No Model.)

4 s. .3. KING. 1

FIRE ESCAPE 0R LADDER.

Patented-Dec. 26, 189 3.

EEIEEIZHI 1a 5 Sheets- Sheet 5.

R. KING. FIRE ESCAPE 0R LADDER.

(No Model.)

No. 511,438. Patented Dec. 26, 1898.

UNITED STATE PATENT @rrrcn.

SAMUEL R. KING, OF BOSTON,lVIASSAOHUSETTS.

FIIREYE-SVG-VAPE OR LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,438, dated December 26, 1893.

Application filed July 7, 1890. Serial No. 357,996. (No model.) i

To aZt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. KING,acitizen of the United States, residingat Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire Escapesor Ladders, of which the following isa full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved j fire-escape and ladder folderupon; its truck. Fig. 3is a plan Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe same. of the under side of the supporting platform or truck of the apparatus. Fig. Lisa side elevation of the lower part of the apparatus with the ladders extended upward. 'Fig. 5 isa front elevation of the same. Fig. dis an enlarged vertical transverse section through the lower portion of the apparatus: Fig. 7 is a detail in perspective of a portion of the lazytongs, showing one of the platforms or landings which extend across the space between the meeting ends of the ladders.

its extensible support when the lazy-ton gs are folded together. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section of the platform or landing. Fig.

10 is a detail in perspective of one of the pivotal roller-bearings employed at the point where the two crossed ladders of a section are jointed together. Fig. 11 is a rear view of the apparatus. Fig. 12 is a detail in perspective of one of the sections of the lazy-tongs,

showing the bridges inposition under the ladders and against the rungs of the same.

Fig. 13 is a perspectiveview of the apparatus extended upward in front of a building and.

facilities afforded for persons escaping from Fig. 8 is a plan of said platform showing the position of a'buildin g to descend wtihout interfering with the firemen who may be engaged in their duties upon the apparatus. I I In the said drawings, A represents the supportingplatform or truck of the apparatus, whichis mounted on wheels and adapted to be drawn by horses as usual. This platform A', consists of ;a series of longitudinal bars a, securely fastened together by transverse pieces b, the spaces 0 between the upper and lower bars a," forming guideways within which are placed grooved wheels cl, secured to axles or carriers B, B, extendingtransversely across the platforms as seen in Fig. 6. To the central portionof each of the axles B, is secured a heavy block or casting D provided with a threaded aperture f, through which passes a long horizontal screw shaft; E, mounted in bearings on the under side of the platform A,

and extendingfrom one end to the other of the same, said shaft being provided at the rear end with a removable crank h, and gears '5, It, as seen in Fig. 11, whereby it niay'berotated. This shaft E is provided on opposite sides of its center with right and left hand threads engaging with similar threads in the blocksD, D, by which construction when the screw shaft E is rotated, the axles B, B, will be simultaneously drawn toward each other or separated in accordance withthe direction of rotation of the said screw shaft. I

, Upon the axles B, B, are pivoted the lower members or risers of a system ofv lazy-tongs whioh'are composed of a series of crossed ladders G, each pairof crossedladders being pivoted together at the center by means of rods or shafts 10 passing through the side pieces of the two ladders which form a section of the lazy-tongs. The meeting ends of the fourladders which form adjoining sections of the lazy-tongs are jointed to each other bytrans- Verse rods or shafts q, which take the place of rungs or rounds at the points where they pass through the sides of the ladders. The pivots by means of which two ladders of a section are jointed together, are preferably provided with roller. bearings 15 as seen in Fig. 10, whereby the friction at these points is reduced to a minimum but as these bearings are of ordinary. and well known construction, they will not be herein more particularly described.

I CO

Outside the ladders on each side of the apparatus, are placed auxiliary strengthening or supporting bars or risers K, of the same length as the ladder, and jointed thereto on the same bolts or pivots by which the meeting ends of the ladders are fastened together. These auxiliary bars or risers K serve to strengthen and stiffen the structure when extended, and form apart of the system of lazytongs, being arranged parallel with the ladders and adapted to fold up or be extended upward therewith. When the axles or carriers B, B, are moved apart by means of the screw-shaft E above described, the ladders forming the members or risers of the lazytongs will lie parallel with each other and be compactly folded together upon the truck or platform A, as seen in Fig. 1, ready to be drawn to the scene of the fire, but when the axles B, B, are moved toward each other, as shown in Figs. 4 and 13, the ladders will be extended upwardly to the desired height to bring them into a proper position to afford a ready means of descent or ascent as may be required.

Fire-escapes constructed on the principle of lazy-tongs have heretofore been composed of parallel side bars or risers jointed together in the usual manner, and each section has been provided with a single ladder arranged between the'two pairs of risers forming each section of the lazy-tongs. By my construction however, in which the members of the lazy-tongs are composed of crossed ladders as described, many advantages are gained, as the apparatus is simplified, and rendered stiifer, stronger, and safer, while two wide ladders are provided for each section instead of one, thus offering increased facilities for escape from a burning building, and also enabling persons going in opposite directions to pass each other upon the apparatus much more easily than before, so that in escaping from a building the descent can be made without interfering with the firemen who may be engaged in their duties upon the apparatus.

Between the meeting ends of the ladders or risers of each section of the lazytongs is placed a horizontal landing or platform L, which when the lazy-tongs are extended upward, will reach across the space between the upper ends of each X or section formed by said ladders, and rest at its opposite ends upon the rungs q, q, of the same as seen in Fig. 7, one end of said platform being permanently jointed to one of said rungs, while the opposite end merely rests upon the ladderrung at the opposite end of the space over which it extends. This platform L instead of being made to swing vertically upward between the risers of the lazy-tongs as heretofore when the latter are to be folded, is caused to remain constantly in a horizontal position, in which position it is held by an extensible supporting device M, composed of a series of bars arranged side by side and adapted to slide one upon the other as seen in Figs. 8 and 9,

said bars being provided with dovetail tongues and grooves at the edges and being held together by straps 20. One of the bars'rof the extensible support M is secured to the under side of the landing or platform L, while the bar 3 on the opposite side is permanently secured to the ladder rung g on the opposite side of the space over which the platform is intended to extend, as seen in Fig. 8, and thus when the ends of the ladders G of each section are moved apart in folding them together, the bars of the support M will slide outward upon each other, thus maintaining the platforms always in a horizontal position, and when the ladders are again raised and their upper ends brought toward each other, the bars of the support M will slide inward upon each other and shut together until the end 21 of the platform or landing L supported thereby rests firmly on the opposite rung q of the ladder as desired. The operation of these platforms is thus rendered perfectly automatic so that theyare always in place when the ladders are raised, while the chains or ropes and pulleys hitherto employed to raise and lower the platforms at these points are dispensed with, thus materially simplifying the construction of the apparatus When the apparatus is raised as shown in Figs 12 and 13, communication between the ladders and the buildings is established by means of bridges or ladders P detacliably pivoted at their lower ends between the side pieces of the main ladders which form the members of the lazy-tongs. This may be effected by providing the lower ends of the bridges with hooks 22 adapted. to fit over the rungs of the ladders as shown in Fig. 12, which rungs would then preferably consist of iron rods. These bridges P are so arranged that they will descend by their own gravity onto the building as seen in Figs. 12 and 13 when permitted to do so by slackening a rope or chain w attached to the upper end of each one and passing down over suitable pulleys a, to the truck or platform A. Each of the ladders G of the lazy-tongs is preferably provided with one of these bridges P whereby communication can be established with the building on either side and at diiferent levels, it being merely necessary to let'downthe particular bridge which lies nearest to the point to be reached. The arrangement of the bridges P between the side pieces of the main ladders enables them to be swungor drawn up by their ropes or chains out of the way under the ladders as seen in Fig. 12 when not required for use, in a position that will not interfere with the free passage of a person over the ladders, or with the folding up of the same, while they can be readily let down onto the building when required for use, their outer ends being preferably provided with hooks, as seen in Figs. 1, 9, and 12. As before stated, the bridges P are detachably connected at their lower ends with the main ladders, whereby should the truck A happen to be so placed that a bridge P could not be" dropped onto the building by slackening its rope w, it can be disconnected and made to extend in any desired horizontal direction from one of the landings L.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a fire-escape, the combination of the supporting platform or truck, the lazy-tongs, the risers or members of which are composed of crossed ladders pivoted together as described, and the outer auxiliary jointed supporting bars or risers K arranged on opposite sides of the structure outside the ladders, and adapted to support and strengthen the same, substantially as set forth. Y

2. In a fire-escape, the combination with the lazy-tongs composed of crossed ladders .stantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 1st day of July, A. D. 30 1890.

SAMUEL R. KING.

In presence of P. E. TESOHEMAOHER, HARRY W. AIKEN. 

